The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Mubarak’s death signals the end of an era in Egypt Egyptians were divided over the funeral held for former President Hosni Mubarak. Egypt
Intel: Trump administration eases humanitarian trade restrictions on Iran amid coronavirus fears The Donald Trump administration slightly eased sanctions on Iran today to allow for trade in medical supplies and food as Tehran struggles to respond to the coronavirus outbreak throughout the country. United States
A Jordanian dinner table pushes for social change Every other week since 2016, dozens of near-strangers gather at the Shams Community house in Amman to discuss hot topics, from sex to religion. Jordan
Egypt faces calls for stricter laws after young girl dies from genital mutilation Public anger over the death of a girl after she underwent female genital mutilation has forced both the Egyptian government and top clerics to take a stand. Egypt
Coronavirus gives kiss of death to Iran’s tourism industry before Nowruz A coronavirus outbreak in Iran is hitting the country’s already battered tourism industry, and the timing couldn’t be worse as many would normally travel for the Persian New Year. Iran
Turkish losses rise in dangerous escalation over Syria's Idlib Reports came in of massive losses among Turkish troops as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued his hawkish posturing toward the Syrian regime. Syria
Netanyahu’s smear campaign leaves Gantz muddied Vicious rumors and fake news have succeeded in smearing the Blue and White’s leadership and helping the Likud draw even in the polls. Israel
US threatens to stop Yemen aid if Houthis don’t cooperate USAID has informed Houthis rebels in Yemen that it will halt humanitarian aid deliveries to areas the rebels control if they continue to interfere in the distribution of assistance. Yemen
Tehran Friday prayers fall victim to coronavirus Iranian officials have ordered the cancellation of major events and gatherings and closed universities in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Iran
Intel: Tunisia's new government wins vote of confidence from legislators Tunisia’s parliament approved Prime Minister-designate Elyes Fakhfakh’s new coalition government early Thursday. Libya
Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces claim gains in Idlib The Syrian military has launched a new ground offensive in south Idlib to take control of the key M4 highway and says it is making major gains against the opposition. Syria
Israel offers new incentives to Gazans As part of the truce agreements Israel reached with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, 2,000 merchants from the Strip will obtain permits to work in Israel, which will have a positive impact on the Gazan economy. Palestine
